


The Ranger On The Edge Of Forever

by ElizabethOlsenIsMySpiritAnimal



Series: The XCOM Anthology Set [2]
Category: XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Dynamics, Multi, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-10-24 15:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20708051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizabethOlsenIsMySpiritAnimal/pseuds/ElizabethOlsenIsMySpiritAnimal
Summary: Due to a tiny accident - namely, not reading the operator's manual - the Psi Gate has malfunctioned and broken the fabric of reality just atinybit.  And that is why Jane Kelly, of 2046, retired XCOM Colonel and present-day Dance Instructor, has ended up back in the shoes of her 2036 counterpart, who is completely unprepared for the post-war world.Just another day at XCOM.5/20/2020 Being Worked On. Slowly. Very Slowly. Something Something Recover Willpower To Wade Back Into XCOM Something





	1. Don't Touch That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...and that, children, is why we don't touch funny glowing things, unless they're hookers wrapped in Christmas lights, which is a story all to itself.

//

_ April 2036 _

Colonel Janeth “Rabbit” Kelly, more commonly known as Jane Kelly, because Janeth sounded way too pretentious to most people for whatever reason they could possibly make up, was bored. To be fair, there wasn’t exactly much to do today, except meander around the Avenger and partake in whatever activity there was to partake in, no doubt some form of drinking, gambling, fighting or talking. It was tempting, yes, but Jane wasn’t exactly feeling it, mostly because she’d been doing said activities for the better part of four days now, and it was getting  _ boring, _ something she never thought she’d say about laying out rookies on the GTS floor.

To be fair, she  _ was _ the best hand-to-hand combatant, equal only to The Commander, and  _ maybe _ a drunk, angry Bradford.

It had been a few days since she’d been in the field, stomping over Chryssalids and Andromedons and other such weird-ass aliens in the name of recovering a strange, circular-like portal thingy, and since then, ADVENT had been oddly quiet. Sure, the Speaker spoke and raged about the “terrorists”, as per usual, but there had been no reports of firefights, no ambushes, not even a single hint of a Retaliation Strike. It seemed, if she had to guess, that barging into the Codex Coordinates site and taking the gateway out from under their noses had put a bit of a damper on ADVENT's mood.

Pity. It was always fun laying the smackdown on a group of Sectoids, and there was nothing like taking down a Berserker to make you feel alive.

Shaking herself out of her musings, Jane sighed, and on a whim, decided that it was time to go do something productive, or at least less tedious than lying around on the armory floor, spinning her knife round and round. Getting up, she began walking, picking her twists and turns at random, deciding that anywhere, frankly, was a welcome change of pace. Step after step, turn after turn, and her feet led her downstairs, past scattered rookies, engineers and scientists, and into-

“-still don’t know how to get anyone  _ through _ the gate without vaporizing them.”

-the Shadow Chamber. The room, named because the engineering team constructing it had been a bunch of emos, or something to that effect, was busy today, it seemed, with The Commander, Lily Shen and Richard Tygan examining the recently-recovered psionic gateway with some interest. “If I may-” Tygan began, picking up where Lily had ended. “-the drone was not disintegrated, merely disabled, albeit violently. Perhaps something of organic nature will not elicit the same reaction.” He made a hum, a very scientific hum, were anyone to ask, and gestured at the pilfered portal with a singular, gusto-filled motion. “That said, I believe that given the fate of Lily’s drone, that perhaps  _ not _ using one of our own to test this theory would be a good idea.” 

“Somehow, I don’t think we’re just gonna convince one of the aliens to waltz into the portal.” The Commander said, their voice dry as they regarded the portal with frustration. “And as self-sacrificing as they tend to be in the name of atonement, I don’t feel that asking a Skirmisher to try their hand at the portal is a great idea either.” 

As Jane stepped inside, the Commander turned their head, a smile crossing their face as their eyes took in the sight of their girlfriend. “Rabbit.” Said XCOM’s leader, nodding their head. “Wanna toss in your two cents on this thing you nearly got run over by an Andromedon for?”

“Sure.” She said, walking over and staring at the alien half-circle, the glowing energy field rather mesmerizing as it flowed and ebbed like water across rocks. “I say that we go with the “throw random alien into it” strategy, and I personally vote we toss the Warlock in first.” 

“Gag or no gag?” Lily asked, smirking amusedly at the thought. “I’m voting no, solely for the entertainment value of what he’ll say when we get Julian to chuck him in.”

“And now I’m voting for that idea.” Said the Commander. Snorting in amusement, Jane unconsciously moved a little closer to the portal as she did so. No one seemed to notice, wrapped up in their talks about the portal and where it could possibly lead and how to best get it to work. It seemed like the gate was almost calling out to her, if the little hum in the back of her head was any indication, and as she got closer, the little hum got louder, louder and louder, until her fingers pressed against the rim of the gate and-

-it flared.

_ That _ got everyone’s attention, it seemed, as the portal shone brightly enough that Tygan and Shen had to shade their eyes, the purple light illuminating the room oh so brightly. “What the fuck-” Began the Commander, and a second later, a blinding pulse knocked everyone off their feet. Jane felt herself be thrown back, hitting the floor with a painful  _ thump, _ and then she was falling, falling, falling  _ falling- _

-and then there was nothing.

//

_ April 2046 _

Awareness, it seemed, was taking its sweet time coming back around.

Groaning softly, Jane pushed herself off of the floor, blinking her eyes rapidly, attempting to clear her head of the strange sense of nausea that permeated it. Strange, the room was bright, the air different, and as her vision swung back into focus, it sunk in that Jane was most certainly not in the Shadow Chamber anymore. Looking around, she saw that she was in a bedroom, a fairly large one at that, a master bedroom, if she had to guess.  _ What the hell is this? _ She thought, as she, on an instinct, approached the dresser to the side of the bed, which looked recently made. There was a photograph propped up on it, and with curious hands, Jane reached out, pulling it towards her-

-and saw herself.

She was apparently seated, smiling a bright, happy smile at the camera, and her hair was streaked with the beginnings of grey. The dress she wore was definitely not something she’d ever seen before, but that wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. As the photo proudly displayed, the Commander was by her side, a matching smile and a joyful glint in their eyes as they faced the camera, and between the duo was-

“Mommy?”

-a little girl, of whom Jane whirled around upon, just barely not dropping the photo as she went. The child, the precious little girl that she was, stared up at her with puzzled eyes, and as Jane put two-and-two together, with the realization that the girl in front of her was her  _ daughter, _ the Irish Ranger eloquently summed up her surprise on the matter.

“The fu-”

//


	2. My Name Is Jimmy...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Present!Jane flops around like a fish out of water, temporal, of course.

//

“-ck?”

It occurred to Jane, about a half-second after she’d said what she’d said, that _ maybe _ it wasn’t such a good idea to have uttered that little four letter word in front of what was, for all intents and purposes, her future daughter. As she clapped a hand over her mouth in mortification, appalled at the use of such coarse language around the little girl, an expression of concern crossed the latter, and tiny little arms wrapped around her legs.

“Are you okay, mommy?” Asked the girl.

Letting her hand drift away from her face and carefully letting the photograph drop onto the bed, Jane brought her fingers down to the girl’s head, brushing them through her hair in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. “Yeah.” She said, concealing her feelings of panic and confusion underneath a veneer of calm. “I was just...startled, was all.”

“Did Daddy do something stupid again?” The girl asked, and Jane shook her head. 

“No-” She began, thinking about the photo that had been the source of her outburst. “-not this time anyways.” She said, wondering exactly what kind of a future this was. It clearly was a happy one, or at least, one where the threat of the Elders had been nullified sufficiently enough to allow for something like _ this _ to happen. _ Did we win? Or are we still fighting? _

Taking a moment to examine the girl clutching her like a lifeline, Jane felt a mix of confusing emotions run through her as the child’s features registered in her mind. The girl was practically a splitting image of herself, in her younger years, of course, and though it was more subtle, Jane could see traces of the Commander in her. _ Oh, Gingersnap- _

“Heyoo…” Went a familiar voice, that in any other time, would’ve had Jane looking up in joyful welcome, but in this case, given that she was far removed from the time of _ her _ Commander, it only brought ice to her spine, as the person she loved most of all stepped into the room, dressed quite casually and sporting an amused smile on their face. “...breakfast is ready-” The Commander came to a halt at the sight of Jane, in XCOM fatigues, with their daughter still hugging her. “-huh, did something happen to your robes?” They asked, an undercurrent of danger sliding into their voice.

Raising up her free hand to make the traditional XCOM symbol for _ friendly here, don’t shoot, _ Jane plastered a fake smile onto her face. “Yeah.” She said. “You know how I am with those things, bit clumsy…” She trailed off, as the girl hugging her released her hold and ran over to the Commander, jumping up into their arms with glee. 

“Butterscotch-” Began the Commander, pressing a kiss to the girl’s forehead. “-why don’t you go get first pick at the food? Mama and I have something to talk about first.” Nodding, the girl ducked out of the room, oblivious to the tension that had suddenly permeated it. The Commander took a breath, the telltale glow of psionics appearing across their fingers, and both they and Jane opened their mouths at the same time-

“Gingersnap, I’m as confused as you are.”

Raising an eyebrow, the Commander breathed out, eyes still suspicious, but a little less hostile now. “Well, then I suppose we should probably start figuring things out, Rabbit-” They said, waving a hand towards her, purple energy disappearing from their digits. “-because as far as I remember, those fatigues are gathering dust up in the attic, and you had grey in your hair, that gaudy Vegas bathrobe I bought for you on a dare and a scar on your arm when I last saw you five minutes ago.”

“...you bought a bathrobe for me on a dare?” Jane asked. “Really?”

The Commander smiled, the remnant of their suspicion evaporating at her words. “That’s your takeaway from this?”

“What can I say? Dares are usually more fun.” She clipped. “But, to get back on track-” She began. “-long story made short, you...well, past you, I guess, was examining the psionic gate with Tygan and Shen, and I guess I got a little too close to it and it did..._ something, _ and that’s how I ended up here.”

“Ah-” Said the Commander. “-I remember that op. You nearly got run over by an Andromedon, right?” Jane nodded. “Okay, so that gives me an idea of when you come from, mid-April, 2036?”

“That’s about correct.” She said. “So, when’s now?” 

“...April, 2046.” The Commander said. “The war with the Elders has been over for about nine years, now. In a nutshell, we found their base about a year and a half from when you come from, it’s under the ocean, by the way, we marched an army inside, killed the Elders and basically decapitated ADVENT. Then you and I retired, gave the reins over to Lily and Melissa, got married, and here we are now, playing house with our darling little girl.” There was a pause. “Not that playing house is all we do, mind you, but it's not like we go out into the field anymore."

"Yeah, we'd be terrible parents if we did." Jane said in an amused tone, only to be interrupted as her stomach growled. _ Right...haven’t had anything since breakfast. _ She thought. “Um…”

The Commander smirked, a fond chuckle escaping their lips as they closed the distance and offered a hand in welcoming. “...of course you’re welcome to join us for breakfast.” They said. “You’ve proven you’re who you say you are, and until we find a way to send you back to your proper time, you’re stuck here, so might as well make the best of it.” They gestured once with their free hand towards some drawers. “If you want to change into something a little more comfortable than those fatigues, you’re welcome to. They should fit, you didn’t change much in the last decade or so.” 

“Thanks, Gingersnap.” Jane said, as she made to pick out some clothes, _ actual _ clothes, with patterns and colors that reminded her of a life from so long ago, not the stuff XCOM fared on, from her future self’s stock. “Good to know I still have a sense of fashion in the future.” She said, as she picked out a pair of comfortable, colorful pajama pants and a Clockwork Angels band shirt, immediately stripping down to put them on.

“That you do…” The Commander said, lips pursing. “...though, since you’re here, that must mean _ my _ Jane is where you come from…” 

Jane paused in her donning of clothes that felt foreign and familiar all the same. “...I was just on the ship, so she’s not gonna drop into Chryssalid territory, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Oh good. Hopefully my past self is mature enough to realize something’s up, and Bradford won’t resort to full on Rambo as an immediate solution.” The Commander said, their tone relieved. “...because the last time someone got stranded, an entire Blacksite got flooded in nineteen tons of tapioca.”

“That has definitely not happened for me yet." Jane said.

“Oh, it hasn't?” The Commander replied, a little smile on their face. “...well, I suppose you and Butterscotch will be quite enthralled with it...”

//

Janeth “Jane” Kelly, retired Colonel of XCOM, forty-four years of age and not a particular fan of the years between thirteen and thirty-four for various reasons best summed up as “fucking aliens”, woke up.

“Ow…”

She was pretty sure that the bedroom was supposed to be brighter, and the floor softer, because robot arm or not, she still had enough flesh on her bones to know the difference between lush carpet and whatever this was. Come to think of it, it seemed awfully cold, and God knew that she hated the cold with the passion that only a carnivore at a vegetarian convention could’ve mustered. In any case, as she sat up, idly noting that the ground beneath her felt awfully familiar, as if she was experiencing it for the first time in a long time, a familiar face came into her hazy view.

“Jane?” Asked Lily Shen, having suddenly de-aged by about ten or so years. “Is that _ you?” _

Taking in her surroundings and coming to the conclusion that she, like Judy Garland long before her, wasn’t in Kansas anymore, Jane the Elder-ish, clad in a gaudy Vegas bathrobe and probably not much else, succinctly summarized her feelings about being back on the Avenger, in what she was pretty sure was the past.

“Well, _ shit.” _

//


	3. ...And You Better Not Wear It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Future!Jane has a rocky introduction to the XCOM of yesteryear, which has become the XCOM of now.
> 
> And the breach has not gone unnoticed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, I find the muse - and willpower - to add something to this story. 
> 
> Assuming anyone's even out there to read this...thank you.

//

When he’d gotten up that morning, Jonathan-John Quimberly Bradford had the feeling that he should’ve stayed in bed.

But as he - and a few other soldiers, startled by the loud banging noise that had come from the Shadow Chamber - rushed into said room, guns drawn, he _ knew _ that he should’ve just stayed in bed, and maybe foisted his daily duties off onto someone else while he lay around and avoided whatever the hell it was that was going to happen that day.

Too late for that now.

Bradford, being a master of subtlety, naturally did what he did best. Which was to analyze the situation in a calm and collected-

_ “What in the name of fucking god just happened in here?!” _

-manner. The Commander, picking themselves off the floor with a groan, responded by flipping him off. Sighing, Bradford lowered his rifle and signalled for his impromptu security team to do the same. “We’re fine, Johnny Sweaterseed, I think…” XCOM’s leader murmured, propping themselves against a nearby wall, still dazed from being thrown against it seconds earlier. “...good news, the Psi Gate seems to be working. Bad news, Tygan broke his glasses and Jane’s missing.” 

“I’m right here, actually.” Called out a familiar, Irish-accented voice.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Last I checked, Jane Kelly didn’t have grey in her hair, what looks to be a robot arm and certainly wasn’t wearing a trashy bathrobe.” Came the voice of Lily Shen, her tone very, very on edge. A chance glance at her, courtesy of Bradford, revealed that she was standing over the supine figure of a woman he was pretty sure was supposed to be a lot younger, of whom was looking up at the engineer with her arms held up in a very placating kind of manner. Still, at Shen’s words, she bristled.

“For the record, Lil, Gingersnap bought me that robe, so technically it’s on them.” Said Jane Kelly in an amused tone. “And I swear to god I’m not an ADVENT spy, furthest thing from that, given that I helped take them down. I am Jane...just not _ your _ Jane.”

“Considering the shit we see around here on a daily basis, you’ll have to excuse us if we’re a little suspicious. We _ were _ just jumped by the Warlock a week ago.” Retorted the engineer, the hand on her wrench twitching ever so slightly.

“Seeing as she hasn’t sprouted tentacles and tried to kill any of us yet, I’m inclined to hear her out.” The Commander interjected, grabbing the attention of the others in the room. “Jane, could you explain further, please?”

“Well-” Began the woman. “-from where I come from, the war with the Elders has been over for a while, hence the gaudy bathrobe, and I was in my bedroom when the world turned upside down and I ended up here.”

“Which, in theory, means that _ our _ Jane is where you came from.” Tygan finished, squinting slightly in the odd light of the room. “As far as explanations go, I believe it to be true. It’s certainly more believable than the usual ADVENT infiltrators’ cover story.” 

“If you want, I can start rattling off embarrassing things about the people in this room.” Jane said, an amused smirk appearing on her face. “Like say, back in the early 90’s, Bradford and Gingersnap got arrested for breaking into Mr. Avatar Timer’s ex-boyfriend’s house to steal back his sweater-”

“It’s her.” Both the Commander and Bradford said, the latter with far more haste than usual.

As Tygan began to chuckle, Shen following suit, Jane sighed in relief and leaned her head back on the floor. “And here I was thinking I was gonna have to get into the more...embarrassing stories. Pity, I have some good ones.”

“In all our years, we’ve never told that story truthfully.” The Commander said, helping Jane up, sparing a glance at the ring that adorned one of her fingers. Bradford had a mixture of relief and terror on his face, mostly due to the revelation that Jane knew _ that _ particular story, but he and his security team had stood down, and he offered a hand to help the shaky bathrobe-clad Irishwoman stand. “Now, just to be on the safe side, let’s get you to the infirmary for a check-up.” They said.

“And if there’s one thing of XCOM I _ don’t _ miss, it’d be that.” Jane quipped.

//

In a chamber far from the Avenger, far from humanity, far from everything, really, a presence stirred.

“There has been a breach.” A figure, purple-hued, multi-armed and regal looking, said, casting their gaze upwards towards the sky, somewhere far, far above. Here, in this chamber, things such as day and night had no meaning, there was only activity, the bustling of a monolith and the inexorable, universe-spanning machine that fueled it. “Have you felt it?”

“I have.” Went another figure, glowing blue, their own gaze turning to meet that of the first. “The laws of nature have been bent, one who will be now is, and one who is has become one who will be.” There was a pause, as plans were made and discarded in an instant. “Shall we take action against the Interloper, she who comes from beyond?”

“Yes...and no.” Went the first figure, the metaphorical light falling upon them, revealing pure white armor and a face hidden by an equally pearlescent mask. “The knowledge possessed by the one from beyond, this Jane Kelly...could be very useful in our hands.” A hand was raised, sending a command out into the world beyond.

“Summon the Chosen.” Said Angelis, first of her name, Queen of the Elders and Sovereign of their Empire. “Their chance for redemption has finally come.”

//


End file.
